Monday, November 22, 2010

Ahhh Finally! It’s the week we’ve been waiting for. Our Three day work week. The week that we’ll fly (non-stop!) to Michigan. (thanks mom and dad) My first Thanksgiving with my immediate family in 8 years! I haven’t had a Thanksgiving turkey cooked by mom since 2002. I haven’t had her stuffing and all the fixings in 8 LONG years.

There have been many fun, memorable thanksgivings over the last 7 years.

2003-2005 St. Petersburg FL

2006 in Arlington VA

2007 on Marco Island

2008 in Wilson NC

2009 at home in Tampa FL

But really, nothing beats your moms cooking, right? I can’t even remember what it tastes like…it’s been THAT long. So what’s on the menu? Well I got a sneak preview: Turkey-duh. Stuffing!!!!!!!!! (can you tell i like stuffing? Really looking forward to this after lasts years disappointment) Green Bean Casserole (jonathans request) Sweet Potatoes Mashed Potatoes (because i told her we HAVE to have mashed AND sweet) Brussels Sprouts (my doing-new recipe) And I pray…pray! Moms Cranberry salad with the eggnog stuff. Oh and Pie. I’m pretty sure there will be pie……Pumpkin Pie. HA!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Well, if October flew by I don’t know what November is doing…Thanksgiving is NEXT week! We are gearing up to go to Michigan and have a fun family thanksgiving. Adam will try Deer hunting for his first time while mom and I clean out the vases from our wedding. You know, the ones filled with sand and a candle. Yep, 14 months latter they’re still fill with sand and after an 9 hour reception…melted wax. But chores aside-It will be great to get away, enjoy some cold weather and of course see our Puppy!

I’ve been working on my sewing again. A dress for Kylie and some Christmas presents. I really do enjoy the process of making; cutting out the shapes, deciphering the instructions and unfolding my stitched fabric to find a cute little dress or whatever it is I’m making. Adam (the eternal entrepreneur) has been trying to get me to sell my items since last spring, but I’ve enjoyed making them for others and like the fact that a I may get to see my work again.

Miss Naomi enjoying her first Yoga class in the outfit I made her.

Kylie Loves my clothes too

However, it’s my latest project (shhh the Christmas presents) that finally got me thinking…ok maybe I can do this. So I ordered some labels, set up a new email and opened an online shop. There is nothing in the shop yet, but it’s all ready to go. Then I brought my items into work, because people had been asking to see what I had been up to. And they gushed. One guy even point blank said “I’ll take two, maybe three” So the shop may sit empty for a while until I can create some inventory. But it’s there….waiting for me to start my new adventure.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

On Saturday, between Adrianne’s games, we headed over to the Sarasota Architectural Salvage store. We were told there was a trailer of wood on sale out front, but at 1st glance Adam dismissed it as crap and we wound our way to the back of the store to survey the reclaimed flooring.

When we got back there and saw the selection we started crunching numbers in our head….ouch. This was not what I had in mind I told Adam. We can buy NEW wood for this price. So after wondering around a bit more we thanked the store clerk and headed out.

Passing the trailer I said, Let’s take one more look. So I began digging into this:

Under piles of green and white bead board I pointed out wide planks to Adam and he would dig them out. Our pile on the ground grew and grew as did his realization that maybe we had found something.

15 Boards later I told him that was enough and took a stack of one’s into the store to pay. $16.05 was our grand total. I borrowed a hammer and a saw and for the next, oh 45 min, we pulled nails and sawed aged boards in half under the HOT NOON Florida sun.

Picking nails up off the ground I reminisced about my Granny and Grandpa. Picking up the nails was Granny’s job-Grandpa was the Carpenter. But when my dad built his cabin Grandpa was too old to hammer so he took over her job and walked around picking up the nails.

As Adam was cutting the boards to fit them into his car he started to get excited. “I’m not sure what this wood is, but look! Check out the grain; It’s still wet; wow this isn’t pine!”

With planks between us and filling the back seat the car ride home smelled of sweet lumber and fresh cut wood. (One of my favorite smells) Sunday we would take it all into his shop at work and uncover what we hope will become our new dinning table.